Automated processing systems may be used in the aerospace industry, as well as in other manufacturing sectors, for fabricating, maintaining, inspecting, etc. various components, assemblies, and/or sub-assemblies. These processing systems may be configured to move about surfaces, including surfaces of components being fabricated. For example, in aircraft manufacturing, manual and automated processing systems, supported on guide tracks attached to a work surface, may be moved relative to the work surface and may be configured to be accurately positioned at a location where processing, such as machining, assembly, inspection, maintenance, etc. is to be performed.
Automated processing systems may be configured to move relative to the surfaces of components for processing thereof, and in so doing, these systems may move along one or more elongated supporting and/or guide tracks (which could be rigid or flexible) of finite length. The finite length of the tracks limits the effective working area in which the system may operate. Accordingly, upon completion of the processing in a particular working area, the track and the automated processing system may need to be removed from a first location and repositioned at a second location if additional processing at the second location is desired.
Over time, the use of a processing system, such as one of those referenced above, may require numerous repositionings and set-ups thereof. Such a processing system can be relatively heavy and require significant manual effort and/or equipment, such as carts, hand trucks, and/or hoists to reposition the processing system and the associated tracks. Accordingly, repeated manual set-up steps of the processing system and tracks at different locations along the work surface may become unnecessarily time-consuming, manpower and/or equipment intensive, expensive, and/or involve other difficulties.
Further limitations and disadvantages of conventional and traditional approaches may become apparent to one of skill in the art, through comparison of such systems with teachings and examples set forth in the present disclosure.